Mallett’s presence, not status, verified

BY MARTY COOK

Posted on Wednesday, January 16, 2008

URL: http://www.wholehogsports.com/adg/213873/

FAYETTEVILLE — Former Michigan quarterback Ryan Mallett moved in with Arkansas tight end Ben Cleveland in a dorm at the university’s Northwest Quad on Monday.

Mallett isn’t officially enrolled at Arkansas as the school awaits his transcripts from Michigan. Kevin Trainor, Arkansas’ associate athletic director for external affairs, said he didn’t know exactly how long the transfer process would take.

“The university, to my knowledge, hasn’t said anything official,” Trainor said Tuesday night. “I’ve contacted the people who should know. He has obviously applied.”

Cleveland, a sophomore from Springdale, redshirted the past season with a neck injury. He declined to comment Tuesday on Mallett’s transfer because he was unsure of NCAA rules regarding the situation.

Cleveland said that Mallett was asleep and wouldn’t say anything publicly until the transfer was official. Cleveland said the two had been cleaning their dorm room all day Tuesday after accidentally flooding it when Mallett moved in.

Cleveland and Mallett became friends during Mallett’s recruitment by Arkansas a year ago and have stayed in touch this past year. Mallett, a top prospect at Texarkana, Texas, played in 11 games with the Wolverines and completed 61 of 141 passes for 641 yards and 7 touchdowns with 5 interceptions.

“He and Ben have been friends,” said Rick Cleveland, Ben’s father. “They developed that friendship, and it just clicked.”

Mallett, 6-7, 252 pounds, decided to leave Michigan when the Wolverines hired former West Virginia Coach Rich Rodriguez, who runs a Spread-option offense. Mallett will have to sit out one year at Arkansas and will have three years of eligibility beginning in 2009.

Rick Cleveland said Mallett’s first day at Arkansas was memorable.

There was a water sprinkler head in Mallett’s closet that Mallett broke when he was putting away a box. The water flooded the dorm with up to 4 inches of water, Rick Cleveland said. The water even ran out the room’s windows into other dorm rooms.

“I have to go up there and do some things for them,” Rick Cleveland said. “They thought they broke a main line. [Ben Cleveland ] said water was everywhere. He said it was a mess.

“ There’s a lot of gunk to clean up. All of Ryan’s shoes got destroyed and all of his clothes are wet.”